Hanging glass sculpture provides tranquil illumination

Photo by Joe Beussink

In early May, Northside Hospital Cherokee in Canton, Ga., opened the doors of its new state-of-the-art facility to patients and families throughout northern Georgia. The dedicated Women’s Center is a prominent feature of the replacement facility, and Northside Hospital Cherokee enlisted Illuminations Lighting in Atlanta to create a hanging glass sculpture as the aesthetic centerpiece of the center’s galleria.

Kris Kirchner, IIDA, AAIS, principal of K2J Inc., Dunwoody, Ga., and lead interior designer for the replacement facility, wanted a light fixture that would both fill the expansive galleria and provide patients with a piece that was engaging, yet calming to the eye. The final composition is a custom design treatment on the “Ether” light fixture by Leucos USA Inc., Edison, N.J., and comprises hundreds of individually blown and dimpled glass bubbles. Each unique element intermingles with the others to form a tranquil display that evokes an image of water trickling from a tall canopy.

Kirchner believes the piece epitomizes the patient-centered character of the new facility — the same calming, inviting experience patients and families have come to expect at Northside Hospital Cherokee.